Timothy mohugh



(ModeL) T. McI-IUGH.

SELF OLOSING FAUGET.

No. 383,138. Patented May 22, 1888.

IN VENT URI WITN ESEES; LL [7 I #6 W. fl g;

NITED STATES PATENT Orrrcn.

TIMOTHY MOHUGH, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO W. H. "WARD & (30., OF SAME PLACE.

SELF-CLOSING FAUCET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 383,138, dated May 22, 1888.

Application filed February 1, 1886. Serial No. 190,463. (Modeh) To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, TIMOTHY MoHUGH, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Self-Closing Faucets,

of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to self-closing faucets, and has for its object to provide improved means whereby the faucet may be readily opro erated, and the strain of the force applied to the lever for raising thevalve from its seat be almost entirely confined to the point at which the lever is fulcrumed, and not be borne, as is the case in faucets as commonly constructed, for a large part at the point where the stem of the faucet is secured to its support.

My invention will first be described in connection with the drawings, and subsequently pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings hereto annexed, and forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a front view of a faucet embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a side view thereof, the cover to the parts above the cap being shown 2 in section. Fig. 8 is a vertical section on the line a" roof Fig. 2.

' Similar letters of reference indicate similar parts in all of the figures.

My invention is an improvement on the selfclosing faucet for which Letters Patent of the United States were granted to me November 18, 188 1, No. 308,186, and to which reference may be had.

In the drawings, a represents the faucet proper; 1), its valve; 0, the valve-stem, d, the valve-seat, and c the spiral spring for forcing the valve down upon its seat. To the upper end of the valve-stem are pivoted short rods 0, one on each side of the stem 0. Said rods are stepped at their lower ends in small semispherical sockets f, formed in the ends 9 of the bifurcated portion of the lever h, pivoted or fulcrumed at t to a lug or projection, j, extending up from the upper forward portion of the cap it, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Said lever 70 is of the elbow kind or character-that is, the bifurcated portion by which it is fulfrumed to the lug j, and in the ends of which the rods 6 are stepped, is formed at a right 50 angle, or nearly so, to the handle portion Z.

Said handle portion is U-shaped in form, and

provided at its upper end, between the ends of the two arms,with a round finger-grasp, m, preferably of wood, and at its lower end, at a point about opposite the fulcrum-point of the lever, said handle portion is provided with a thumb-plate, a, as best seen in Fig. 1.

The operation of my invention may now be described as follows: The operator desiring to open the faucet, places his or her thumb against the thumb-plate-n, with two or more of the fingers over the finger-grasp m, and drawing down the handle portion Z, at the same time pressing against and, as the natural tendency will be downward, on the thumb-plate, rocks 6 the lever on its fulcrum, raising the valve 0 from its seat at and allowing the water or other liquid to flow from the faucet. By letting go of or relaxing the force thus applied to the handle of the faucet the valve will be forced 0 back to its seat by the spring 0, as will be readily understood, particularly by reference to my aforesaid patent.

By constructing and operating the lever in the manner described, not only is provision made for operating the valve in a manner agreeable to the most natural inclination when the operator grasps the lever or handle, but by placing the thumb against the thumb-plate n and bearing thereagainst, and, as will be natural, downward thereon when drawing down the lever, the force of the strain for lifting the valve from its seat is confined almost entirely to the pivotal or fulcrum point t, the force applied being similar to that that would be applied to the periphery of a wheel when a exerted on a line concentric with its axis to turn the same, thus relieving the neck of the faucet from strain at the point where it is secured to its support, which has a tendency to 0 loosen or break it from its support, as is well known to those skilled in the art.

1. In a self-closing faucet, the combination, with the faucet proper and its cap, of-a valve 93 and its stem, a spring for forcing the valve down upon its seat, an elbow-lever comprising the arms h and Z, said arm h being pivoted or fulcrumed about midway of its length upon said cap, the forward end of said arm it being loosely connected to said valve'stem, the other arm, Z, of said lever projecting substantially at right angles to arm h, and provided at its outer or upper end with a finger-grasp, m, and having a thumb-plate formed thereon substantially at the point of its junction with arm h, substantially as set forth.

2. In a self-closing faucet, the combination, with the faucet-body, of a valve and its stem, a spring for forcing the valve upon its seat, a

right-angled lever having one of its arms pivoted about midway of its length and connected loosely to the valve-stein at its forward end, the other arm of said lever provided with a finger-grip at its upper end, and a thumb-plate formed thereon substantially at the point of juncture of the two arms, substantially as de- 15 scribed.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification,in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 27th day of J anuary, 1886.

TIMOTHY lWIcHUGH.

Witnesses:

O. F. BROWN, ARTHUR W. CROSSLEY. 

